PANAJI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the talks as regards its pre-poll alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) were in the final stages and that within the next two days, the deal would be sealed.

Addressing a press conference, the state spokesperson of BJP, Mr Vishnu Wagh said, "The delay in announcement of the alliance is due to one or two key constituencies desired to be contested by both the parties."

He said that the BJP will give those many seats to the MGP, as are deserved by it. "The MGP wants ten seats but the BJP feels that it deserves much less," the state BJP spokesperson said, adding that the BJP has at least ten winnable candidates for Porvorim constituency and it will contest election from the same.

The BJP on Friday demanded that two senior most Congress leaders, Mr Eduardo Faleiro and Mr Ramakant Khalap be immediately stripped of their positions as the head of the state NRI Commissionerate and Goa Law Commission, respectively for allegedly violating the election Code of Conduct.

Mr Wagh said that both these senior leaders are actively involved in the preparation of Congress party’s manifesto for assembly election and are making open statements about contents of the manifesto in spite of holding top positions in the administration. It may be recalled that the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer had issued a notice to Mr Khalap as well as Mr Faleiro as to why the facilities and perks enjoyed by them from the government should not be withdrawn.

Speaking further, Mr Wagh said that the BJP has no idea about the direction in which the Congress manifesto is going, but it can definitely sense the mindset of the Congress party, especially as the recently ‘rehabilitated’ politician, Mr Jitendra Deshprabhu has been making statements about his appointment as the state spokesperson of Congress. "Mr Deshprabhu has been already jailed for his involvement in illegal mining and there exists prima facie evidence in this context," he maintained, demanding that the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee should immediately clarify as to whether it has really made such an appointment, and if yes, then whether it is indirectly or directly supporting illegal mining as well as those involved in it.

Mr Wagh also said that the overwhelming response received by the BJP in the St Andre constituency during its recent Janasampark Abhiyan has made the sitting MLA of the constituency, Mr Francis Silveira lose his confidence and act in a vindictive manner against those, who had participated in the Abhiyan during its tour of the constituency.

"Mr Silveira as well as his two brothers - Anthony, a ZP member and Benny, a village panchayat member - even went to the extent of threatening those, who participated in the Abhiyan," he observed, mentioning that the three brothers tried to frame up a local resident, Mr Joseph Fernandes and put him behind bars, which, in turn, was prevented by a group of eminent people from the constituency, who explained the facts to the PI of the local police station, Mr Jeevba Dalvi.

Warning that the BJP would react sharply and strongly to such anti-democratic intimidating acts, Mr Wagh further said that the brother of the St Andre constituency MLA, Mr Anthony, who owns a fishing trawler operating from Malim jetty, has illegally constructed a jetty at Agassaim and of recent, was distributing free fish - mackerals as well as king fish - to the people of St Andre constituency. "The BJP remained silent for few days so that the people could get free fish to eat," he quipped, adding that if such a thing continues in the future, a complaint would be lodged with the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP on Friday said that the North Goa MP, Mr Shripad Naik will participate in the party’s assembly campaign when it commences next month. Mr Wagh told the media that Mr Naik has readily agreed to campaign for the party in view of the forthcoming assembly elections. "He has already assured the Goa unit of the BJP about his participation in the election campaign, and if he has told something else to any section of the media, then we are not aware of it," Mr Wagh added.

Observing that Mr Naik is the senior most leader of the state BJP, and has played an important role in party’s rise in Goa to its present level, Mr Wagh said that if the North Goa MP has sought any explanation from the central BJP leadership as regards denial of permission to him to contest the assembly election, then the matter is between the central leadership of the party and Mr Naik. "It is not right for the state unit of the BJP to get involved in the same," he maintained.